I am officially back to the blog, and chop full of Palinmania. Wow. I may have my qualms with John McCain (indeed, that’s the reason I started this blog), but his choice of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as a running mate knocked me out of the water. She is the future. And, as the Politico notes, she may help the GOP win a few Congressional races this fall:

Republican members and strategists agreed that […] she should be able to help turn out socially conservative voters in House races. Conservative faithful in many key districts have remained wary of John McCain’s commitment to their agenda — and National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Tom Cole said Wednesday that several Republican candidates have already inquired whether Palin can appear with them at joint campaign events.

The benefit could be most apparent in competitive congressional races in the South, where Republicans lost two conservative-minded seats in special elections over the last several months and have been defending an unusual number of seats in traditionally favorable territory.

“She clearly motivates the base. Republicans are pretty pumped about her candidacy — not just because of her conservative values but because of her personality and background,” said Republican pollster Neil Newhouse. “She’s someone they feel a connection with.”

In the same way that Sen. Barack Obama will be a drag on vulnerable Democrats in many parts of the country, Sarah Palin will be an asset.

I’m sure our candidates here at Down the Ticket will have their reactions, and I will post them as they become available.